Developer wants to give lake parcel for city-owned tract

The Peachtree City Planning Commission is asking the city to limit the extent of a proposed land swap with a commercial developer involving a city-owned tract on Ga. Highway 54 West north of the Line Creek Nature Area.

Flexxon Operating plans to build a shopping center near the city limits, and it wants to swap land on the southern edge of its parcel in exchange for an adjacent tract with highway frontage that is owned by the city.

“This is something I don’t recall the city ever doing: marketing or selling property for use as retail development,” City Planner David Rast told the planning commission Monday night.

In recent years, council had rebuffed several requests to sell a tract off Ga. Highway 54 and Paschall Road that was the former site of the old Leach Fire Station.

The pending situation is unique because the land swap would benefit the city by securing the northern portion of the lake at the Line Creek Nature Area, currently owned by development company Flexxon Operating. The city currently owns only the southern portion of the lake.

Recently Flexxon suggested that it might instead use the lake as part of its stormwater detention program, which would cause a significant problem for the nature area, Rast said. Stormwater runoff from pavement typically contains contaminants, and such chemicals could threaten the wildlife in the lake, which is often visited by city residents as a natural respite from the suburban environment.

The commission unanimously passed a resolution Monday night urging the City Council to only swap the amount of land needed to acquire the northern section of the lake. Before the vote, the commission debated whether it should take such a strong stance with Council.

“They need to know what kind of putty we’ve got our fingers in,” said Planning Commissioner Theo Scott. He said the matter was urgent enough to bring to council as soon as possible instead of delaying a vote to further refine the resolution.

Flexxon wants to appear at the next planning commission meeting on Feb. 12 in a workshop format, and their latest concept plan shows the city-owned tract off Hwy. 54 being used as part of its development ... perhaps a sign the company is confident the land swap will occur.

Council previously indicated it would consider such a proposal, but City Attorney Ted Meeker has said the city would have to get property of equal or greater value than the parcel the city currently owns. If council decided to sell the property, it would likely have to go up for bid, Meeker has said.